Stem winding watch



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. E. HART. STEM WINDING WATCH.

No. 364,015. Patented May 31, 1887.

N. PETERS. Phnlo Lillmglupher. wnman mn, DC.

2 Sheets-"Shed: 2.

(No Model.)

G. E. HART.

STEM WINDING WATCH.

N0. 36 ,015. Patented May 31, 1887.

N. PETERS. vhmn-mmi rs her. wa'shingxm n. c

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. HART, O-F XVA TERBURY, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE W'ATERBURY WATCH COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEM-WINDING WATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 364,015, dated May 31, 1887.

Application filed October 2*, 1885.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. HART, of Wa. terbury, in the county of New Haven, and in the State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stern-\Viiiding Watches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the stemarbor and its connecting parts separated from each other. Fig. 2 is a like view of the same combined, but disconnected from .the case. Fig. 3 is a plan view,from the rear,ofa watchmovement containing my improvements. Fig. 4 is a like view of the same from the front, showing the stemarbor in its normal position. Fig. 5 is a plan view, from the front, of said movement, showing said stem-arbor at the inner limit of its longitudinal motion; and Figs. 6 and 7 are respectively sections upon lines 00 a; and z zofFigs. 4 and 5.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

My invention relates to an improvement in stem-winding watches for which application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 186, 560,was filed upon the 23d day of December, 1865, and is intended to improve the efficiency and durability of the operative mechanism 5 to which end said invention consists in the means employed for regulating the depth of engagement of the teeth of the stem-driven hands setting-wheel with the intermediate wheel, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

It consists, further, in the means employed for regulating the depth of engagement of the spring-pawl which operates to connectthe stem-arbor with a winding-pinion that is journaled upon andadapted to be rotated by said arbor, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown.

It consists, finally, in the construction and combination of parts, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

In the annexed drawings, A represents the pillar-plate, andB the back plate,of a watch, between which is placed any usual form of timetrain that has an ordinary mainspringarbor, O, which arbor carries upon one end a Serial No. 217,476. (X0 model.)

I,which has within the central portionof its inner face a slight recess, 6, and within the same has a C-shaped spring, 6, that is se cured at one end to said pinion and at its op posite free end is turned slightly outwardinto position to engage with the teeth of said pinion H.

A spiral spring, K, placed around the stemarbor G between the crown g and the inner end of the recessed portion of the stem fioperatesto hold said arbor at the outer limit ofits motion with the contiguous faces of the pinions .H and I in contact, and the outer face of the latter in contact with the inner face ofthe casecenter F, such being the normal positions of said parts, but allows said arbor to be moved longitudinally inward a certain predetermined distance, for reasons hereinafter set forth.

The pinion I is in constant engagement with the intermediate wheel, E, and is caused to rotate the same, the wheel D, and the mainspringarbor 0 whenever the stem-arbor G is rotated in such direction as to cause the spring-pawl to be engaged by the teeth of the pinion H, while, when said spring-arbor is rotated in the opposite direction, said pawl will not be engaged, and said pinion I and its connecting parts will remain at rest.

Heretofore, when a single pinion was used in place of the pinions H and H and intermediate disk,h, itoccasionally occurred thatafter the mainspring of the watch had been wound a continuation of rotative pressure upon the stem-arbor would cause the free end of the spring-pawl z" to be forced outward between the teeth of said wheel, so as to look further action and render necessary the removal of said pawl and the insertion of a new pawl before the mechanism could be again used. Such difficulty is entirely obviated by the present construction, as the free end of the spring pawl bottoms upon the disk 71, and is thus able to resist, without injury, any pressure which would ordinarily be given to it. t The pinion H is adapted to engage with an intermediate dialwvhccl, L, whenever the spring-arbor G is moved inward a sufficient distance, as shown by Fi 5, at which time said stem, by the separation of said pinion from engagement with the spring-pawl i, is disconnected from said winding-pinion and free to rotate in either direction within the latter.

Whenbut a single pinion is employed instead of two pinions, Hand H, and disk 71, the depth of engagement of said single pinion and the intermcdiate dial-wheel, L, is determined by the impingement of the crown g upon the outer end of the case stem or pendantf, and a proper adjustment of such depthiug involves a considerablc amount of time and work. In the present construction the impingement ot' the disk It upon the ends of the teeth of the wheel L fixes the depth of engagement and renders unnecessary any other limitation of the longi tudinal movement of the stem arbor. As this construction adds only inexpensive maohinework to the watch, a material saving in cost is effected over what has heretofore been required.

In the organization shown the spiral spring K performs no other otliee than to hold the stem arbor at the outer limit of its motion, and may have any amount of stiffness necessary for such purpose without interference with the ratchet mechanism, while the spring-pawl t" may he made as light as desired within the limits of the required longitudinal rigidity, and adds but slightly to the resistance offered to the ro' tation of said arbor.

Having thus described my invention, what- I claim is 1. As a means for limiting the depth of on gagement of the teeth of a stem-rotated spurwheel with the teeth of a dial spur-whecl that rotates in a plane having a right angle to the plane of rotation of the same, a metal disk which is secured upon or against the outer face of said stem-rotated wheel and impinges upon the ends of the teeth of said dial-wheel, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. As a means for limiting the depth of lateral engagement of the free end of a springpawl with the teeth of a spur'toothcd ratchetwheel, a metal disk which is secured upon the outer side of said wheel and is adapted to be impinged by the end of said spring, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

In combination with the dial-wheels ofa watch and with a winding-wheel which is j on rnaled upon a rotatable longitudinally-movablcstem-arbor and is provided within or upon its face with a springpawl, two toothed pinions that are secured rigidly upon the inner end of said arbor and a metal disk which is placed between the contiguous faces of said pinions, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of October, A. l). 1886.

GEORGE E. HART.

Witnesses:

NATHANIEL R. BnoNsoN, CHARLES S. CHAPMAN. 

